Component Kit for Assembling Toy Buildings

ABSTRACT

Component kit for assembling toy buildings, com prising components, preferably made of wood and having various shapes, provided with properly located bores and connecting elements for said components, preferably made of plastic, wherein, according to the invention, a splined rod ( 10 ) is provided, which has, on almost all its external surface, a plurality of longitudinal lands ( 11 ), which alternate with the same number of grooves ( 12 ), said lands ( 11 ), at a short distance from both the ends of the splined rod, ending with arched chamfers ( 13 ), said splined rod being apt to support other toy building components, such as sleeves ( 20 ), right-angled connecting ele ments ( 30 ), inserts ( 40 ), end elements ( 50 ), all of which being provided with coherent bores, i.e. with coherent shape and dimensions relative to the charac teristics of said splined rod ( 10 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a kit for assembling a plurality of components to be interconnected to make toy buildings, in particular toy vehicles.

RELATED ART

Several kits for making toy buildings are available, each providing several and different interconnecting elements to rigidly connect the several components to each other and/or to allow an articulated movement in respect to each other. An example of such a connection is provided in the Application PCT WO 03/031011 wherein a fork component receives between the two properly bored arms of the fork a likewise bored hub of a second component, such components being connected to each other by a pin, provided with a small axial land, which snap-engages the cylindrical bore wall made in the second component hub, ensuring a reliable retention within the cylindrical bores of the two components.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a kit of connecting elements of a plurality of components which are totally different in respect to those of the prior art, capable of allowing a rigid fit of the components, as well as an articulated mounting of components through easy-to-make coupling elements having excellent characteristics of assembly easiness and extremely reliable operation, suitable for small children.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The main element, that characterizes the present invention, is a splined linking rod having alternate outer longitudinal lands and grooves cooperating with one or more components having alternate inner longitudinal grooves and lands, or with connecting sleeves, having likewise alternate inner longitudinal grooves and lands. Thus couplings of the several building pieces can be achieved, capable of allowing their respective positions to be maintained, or connecting sleeves for joining two splined rods with a rigid coupling, i.e. a coupling which does not allow a rotatory movement in respect to each other, as well as sleeves with a inner cylindrical cavity to be mounted on a splined rod in order to allow a rotatory movement in respect to said splined rod or to act as a spacer. The splined rod according to the present invention is also capable of cooperate with linking elements, apt to allow a 90° joining of the several components having splined cavities disposed at 90° in respect to each other. According to the present invention, end elements with a splined central bore are provided, capable of cooperating with said splined rods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will be described in more detail below, referring to the accompanying drawings, most of which are not in full size scale, wherein:

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C show in a front view, a side view and a perspective view, respectively, a splined rod according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C show in a top plan view, a section view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2A and a perspective view, respectively, a splined connecting sleeve according to the invention;

FIGS. 3A-3F show respectively a connecting elements for components to be mounted at 90° in respect to each other, wherein FIG. 3A shows a connecting element in front elevational view, FIG. 3B shows the same in section taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3A, FIG. 3C shows the same element in a rear elevational view, FIG. 3D shows the same in a bottom plant view, FIG. 3E is a section taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3A and FIG. 3F is a perspective view of said connecting element;

FIGS. 4A-4E show an insert with a central splined bore capable of cooperating with said splined rods where FIG. 4A shows such an end element in a front elevational view, FIG. 4B shows the same in a side elevation, FIG. 4C shows the same in a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 4A, FIG. 4D is the rear elevational view and FIG. 4E is the relative perspective view; and

FIG. 5A-5C show an end element with a central splined bore capable of cooperating with said splined rods, where FIG. 5A shows a front elevational view of such an end element, FIG. 5B shows a side elevational view of the same, and FIG. 5C is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIGS. 6A-6E are a side elevational view, a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 6A and a perspective view, respectively, of a structure representing a toy motorbike made according to the present invention using the kit components, with the exception of the 90° connecting element of FIGS. 3A-3F above; and

FIGS. 7 e 8 show an exploded perspective view of the several component elements shown in the previous figures in several coupling combinations relative to each other.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the splined rod 10 provided according the present invention will be described in detail below. Such a splined rod 10 has on almost all its external surface a plurality of longitudinal lands 11, alternately arranged with the same number of grooves 12, the lands 11 ending, close to both ends of the splined bar, with arched chamfers 13.

Such a splined rod 10 has a plurality of longitudinal grooves on its external surface, e.g. four grooves 12, which alternate with as many lands 11. Lands 11 end close to both longitudinal ends of the splined rod 10 with arched chamfers 13. It is evident that said splined bar 10, once it has been inserted in a coherent bore formed in a component of toy buildings for children, could enable a rotary movement transmission or a rigid link, i.e. not articulated in two pieces of the building toy based on need.

In FIGS. 2A and 2B a connection splined sleeve 20 is depicted, which allows, for example, to join together two splined rods 10. Therefore, the connection sleeve 20 has quite semi-circular annularly adjacent grooves 21. Grooves 21 are interrupted in the middle by restricting protrusions 23 which act as the stops for two splined rods to be joined together introduced into said connection sleeve. With such an arrangement, the two splined rods are rigidly joined to each other with an exact penetration limit in said sleeve 10 without any possibility of a rotary movement relative to each other.

It is also evident that the mounting of a conventional sleeve (not shown) having a central cylindrical through-hole on the connecting rod will enable to achieve spacers, if required, or to mount any free rotating element thereon, such as a vehicle wheel.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, a connecting element 30 for components to be mounted at 90° relative to each other is shown. Such a connecting element 30 is formed by a stem 31 and a head 32. The stem 31 has a blind hole 33, which is duly splined to receive and couple with a splined rod 10 or a part thereof. In turn, the head 32 has a coherently splined bore 34 in order to receive and connect with an end of a splined rod 10, the axes of the splined bores 33 and 34 being arranged at 90° relative to each other.

FIGS. 4A-4D show a flanged insert 40 consisting of an essentially cylindrical body 41 in which a bore 43 is made, coherently shaped in respect to the body and dimensions of rod 10 which can be received therein, in perfect coupling relationship. The flanged insert ends, at the front side, with a bearing flange collar 46 and, on the rear side, with an chamfer 47 whereas the substantially cylindrical body 41 has orientating conic protrusions 44 and restraint axial ribs 45. Said flanged insert 40 is intended to be inserted within a bore made in a building block.

FIGS. 5A-5C show an end element 50, apt to cooperate with said flanged insert 40 and to supplement it, which is made of a peripherally chamfered disc 51, where a bore 53 is made, coherently shaped in respect to shape and dimensions of rod 10 which can be received therein. The end element 50 also has rear conic protrusions 54 and arched restraining ribs 55.

FIGS. 6A-6 c, explanatory per se, show the use of several components of the inventive kit to build a toy motorbike construction formed by flat building elements, preferably of wood, provided with a wheel 60, and made of several building elements jointed to each other by several components of the inventive kit. FIGS. 7 and 8 simply show how the several components can be coupled to each other.

The present invention, however, is not limited to the embodiments shown and illustrated, as several variants and modifications can be made, which always and in any case fall within the scope of this invention, as defined by the appended claims. 

1. Component kit for assembling toy buildings, comprising components having various shapes, having properly located bores and connecting elements for said components, wherein it includes a splined rod which has, on almost its whole surface, a plurality of longitudinal lands alternated with the same number of grooves, the lands, at a short distance from both the ends of the splined rod, ending with arched chamfers, said splined rod being apt to support other toy building components provided with coherent bores, i.e. coherently shaped and sized relative to the characteristics of said splined rod, or cylindrical bores, wherein the component kit comprises an insert in which a bore is made, coherently shaped in accordance with the shape and dimensions of the splined rod which can be received therein in perfect coupling relationship, wherein said insert is intended to be inserted within a bore made in a building block of the toy building.
 2. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to claim 1, comprising a connecting sleeve having a central through-hole provided with annularly adjacent axial grooves capable of accommodating said splined rod and exactly coupling with said splined rod.
 3. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to claim 2, wherein said grooves of the connecting sleeve are interrupted in the middle by inwardly directed restricting protrusions, which act as stops for splined rods inserted at the two ends of the sleeve in order to limit the grade of insertion thereof.
 4. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to claim 1, comprising a connecting element formed by a stem and a head, said stem having a blind hole which is properly splined in order to receive and couple with a splined rod or with a part thereof, the head having a coherently splined bore to receive and couple itself with an end of the splined rod, the axes of the splined bores being arranged at 90° to each other.
 5. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to claim 1, wherein said insert consists in an essentially cylindrical body wherein a bore is made, coherently shaped in accordance with the shape and dimensions of the rod which can be received therein in perfect coupling relationship, the insert ending, at the front side, with a bearing flange collar and, at the rear side, with an invitation chamfer whereas the substantially cylindrical body has orientating conic protrusions and restraint axial ribs.
 6. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to claim 1, comprising an end element made of a peripherally chamfered disc, where a bore is made, coherently shaped in respect to shape and dimensions of rod which can be received therein, the end element having also orienting rear conic protrusions and arched restraining ribs.
 7. Component kit for assembling toy buildings according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said bored components are made of wood, whereas said connecting element of said bored components are made of plastic. 